A recent report has revealed that only six of the venues played by Oasis on their debut UK tour 30 years ago remain open today. In 1994, the band played at 15 different venues as part of their tour for the album ‘Supersonic,’ but nine of these locations no longer put on gigs or have closed their doors altogether. Among the victims of this trend is Moles in Bath, which closed down last December after a 45-year reign as one of the region’s premier music venues.
Mark Davyd, CEO of the Music Venue Trust (MVT), discussed the difficulties of scheduling smaller concerts in the current economic climate, as fees, bills, rent, and wages continue to rise. According to Davyd, ticket and drink prices no longer cover all of these costs, indicating that it’s impossible to put on a show featuring two new bands without incurring a loss, even if all 250 seats were sold. Speaking to the BBC, he revealed that booking Oasis and Whiteout for their joint headline tour three decades ago was possible because that show might have made a small profit due to door proceeds and beverage sales.
In January of this year, MVT issued a report warning of a “disaster” for grassroots music venues and calling for a ticket levy on larger arenas and more extensive industry investment. Among their study’s critical findings was the discovery that 125 UK venues have abandoned live music, with more than half shutting down entirely. Other difficulties faced by venues included excessive energy prices, rent hikes, supply costs, business rates, licensing issues, and noise complaints, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic’s aftermath.
The UK government’s most recent budget, which did not include a VAT charge cut on tickets, was chastised by MVT as a missed opportunity. In the meantime, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) discovered that 31% of UK nightclubs closed last year, with an average of two closures per week. Despite the gloomy outlook for live music venues, former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has announced that he will be touring the band’s classic album ‘Definitely Maybe’ in full for its 30th birthday. Tickets for the event are now available
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